Writing a blog post is challenging enough, but getting it to rank in Google’s top 10 search results is significant work. The procedure is more complex than it appears. Not only do you need to choose a great topic, write a high-quality post, but you also have to publish it with search engine optimization or SEO essentials in mind.
A compelling topic should touch on something you can explain through your knowledge and expertise while approaching from a relevant angle that would interest your target audience. Moreover, the procedure does not end with the post’s publication because you must still work on how it can generate your expected traffic.
What Is Search Engine Traffic?
Search engine traffic, also known as traffic in Google Analytics, refers to visitors who arrive at your website by clicking on search results. A website’s overall search engine traffic can be segmented using a web analytics program to show the percentage of visitors.
There are four types of traffic sources in Google Analytics:
Organic Traffic
Organic traffic pertains to visitors who found your site through unpaid searches on Google, Baidu, Ask.com, Yahoo, and other search engines. This traffic type is usually free and designed to target. In addition, SEO strategies intended to rank the website as high as possible can also generate organic traffic.
Direct Traffic
Google Analytics characterizes direct traffic as website visits when users type your website’s hyperlink into a web browser or recall the link from a browser’s bookmark. Unfortunately, Google Analytics classifies any unidentified source as direct or none.
Referral Traffic
Referral traffic refers to website sessions generated by users who click on a third-party website rather than a search engine. It is beneficial in online marketing because it brings in potential readers and qualified clients from domains. Press releases, guest posts, business directories, and social networking sites — such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest — are examples of this traffic type.
Paid Website Traffic
Paid traffic is only available to businesses that run PPC advertisements. Any customer who visits your website after clicking on one of your Google paid search, display, or other surface ads is considered paid traffic.
One of the more significant problems when publishing online content is that most people only look at the first two pages of Google search results — and sometimes only the first page! Thus, aiming for that top spot becomes even more critical.
To combat low traffic, it’s important to utilize SEO and explore the wonders of SEO writing.
What Is SEO Writing?
SEO writing refers to creating content intended to rank on the first page of Google and other search engines. This process includes keyword research, writing high-quality content corresponding to user preferences, and optimizing your target readers for accessible page crawling. Besides, it is essential to note that any content created without SEO considerations may not appear search engine-friendly, and users may find it challenging to understand what the page is intended for.
Tips on Writing Blog Posts for Google
It takes time, patience, and consistency to rank well on Google and earn traffic. However, if you familiarize yourself with the tips in this article and learn to implement them, your next post might receive the attention it deserves.
Here are a few pointers to help you write blog posts for Google.
Stay Updated on the Top Results for Your Keywords
You must first ensure that your blogs focus on your domain of expertise and the information your target readers seek. Keeping track of keywords you will use and the top trending results for those keywords is critical. Learn how to use SEO tools such as Google Analytics, Answer The Public, Ubersuggest, and Google Ads Keyword Planner to understand better and track top trending keywords.
Staying updated also means keeping track of your competition. Google is a highly competitive platform, and what is trending today may not be trending tomorrow or even in the next hour. By keeping track of them, you can analyze the features or elements that prompt your competition to remain at the top of the rankings. Studying the competition also provides insight into what the readers want.
Google Trends can tell you which keywords are currently trending. For example, if the number of searches for a specific keyword steadily decreases over time, it’s probably not the best keyword to target.
Optimize for On-Page SEO and Maximize Headings
On-page SEO refers to building and structuring your website and its HTML to increase its ranking chances. If you want to rank your blog post for a specific keyword, use headers to help Google’s web crawlers understand your post and its sections. Web crawlers are users who typically skim through blog after blog, looking for article summaries.
It is critical to not only create impactful headers but also strategically use keywords with high intent. When you hit the correct search terms your target readers are trying to find, your blog post has a better chance of ranking higher.
Write for People and Not Search Engines
While SEO allows you to calibrate your content for search engine ranking, your primary focus should still be user experience — what questions do people have that your blog or article could answer? Your ranking, keywords, and site will only be worthwhile if your post contains relevant and compelling information and delivers quality.
One way to publish a high-quality post is to include detailed information, scannable sections, well-organized subheaders, and visual elements. SEO tools and software can help you with your site’s technical aspects, such as SEOCrawler, Keyword Explorer, and Google Analytics. On the other hand, all-in-one SEO tools can aid you in writing, such as SEMrush Writing Assistant, KWFinder, Grammarly, and Hemingway App. As for keeping track of your content engagement and knowing how long a user visited your site, you can use tools like Ahrefs Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console.
Create Content That Is Useful and Valuable
There are several reasons readers prefer blog posts over other types of content. Some blogs answer questions; others are for entertainment and the latest trends; some educate a specific group; the rest are usually a combination. As a result, it is vital to set your target audience, understand what they are looking for, and write an in-depth blog post that directly addresses them. Remember that if you want to create a blog post that ranks on Google, you must make every effort to make it as value-adding to search engine users as possible.
Another helpful way to make your post is to aim for scannable and longer content. Despite people’s short attention spans, longer posts generate more keywords. However, the downside is that long blogs might bore people, so you must properly and skillfully break them down into smaller chunks.
Choose a Search Engine-Friendly Title for Your Content
Even if you have high-quality content ready to go, you cannot expect it to rank well on Google by giving it something absurd or dull as a title. One tip is to create a title after you’ve finished writing the post.
The first step in creating the perfect title for your blog post is incorporating one to two keywords related to your topic. You must also keep the title brief but powerful. Finally, choose something that appeals to your target readers and Google.
Some tips for creating a good title include:
- Incorporating numbers (e.g., 9 “Essential Travel Tips for Beginners,” “11 Ways to Make Money Online”)
- Including your offer in the title (e.g., “How to Connect Airpods to Mac [+Video Tutorial],” “How to Convert PDF to Word Document + Step-by-Step Procedure”)
- Adding a teaser (e.g., “We Tried The Latest Japanese Restaurant In Town: Here’s How It Went”)
Include Links to Reputable Websites
Feel free to link externally if you want to back up your blog post with statistical data or additional data from a reliable source. It is an excellent way to demonstrate to your audience that what you say is accurate and trustworthy. Compelling statistics and information can also help your post build a good reputation with readers and Google since it can analyze your link profile.
In addition, internal linking to other pages or blog posts on your website helps search engines create actual hyperlinks. It also allows your readers to discover more of your content and get to know you as a trustworthy source of information. Moreover, internal links can keep visitors on your site longer, lowering bounce rates and increasing conversion prospects.
Backlinks function in the same way. The more individuals back up what you say in your blog post, the more Google will trust the information in your blog.
In A Nutshell
Writing blog posts to generate a high traffic is not as simple as it appears, but it’s also not as complicated as we think. These are just six points to consider when writing blog posts for Google. Try to familiarize yourself with them, and keep them in mind as you write your next article!
Let us know if these suggestions work for you! You can also contact us today for any of your SEO needs.